


Two Shots of Revelation with My Coffee

by marilynthedork



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: (that's canon standard), Ace!Magnus, Asexual Character, Communication, Communication Failure, Disguise Self, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Healthy Relationships, M/M, New Relationship, Other, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Threats of Violence, boys talking about their feelings, maybe also ace!taako
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-04-14 09:25:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14133138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marilynthedork/pseuds/marilynthedork
Summary: Kravitz and Taako have been going steady for a while. But just one date night in Neverwinter could change their entire dynamic.Kravitz gets duped. An informant spills the beans.





	1. The Beans are Spilled

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I've been working on this dump lil' fic for months! It started out as a small idea of Angus talking to Kravitz about Taako and has blossomed into... this. I'm really excited about where this fic ended up, and I hope you guys are too! Look out for part 2 soon!

 

            Kravitz had successfully completed his mission in catching an elusive lich who had been evading the Eternal Stockade for months. Now, he was giving his usual play-by-play to the Raven Queen about how he arrested them. Even though She could always see what Her reapers were doing, She still enjoyed their stories. Kravitz’s were usually quite technical, but sometimes, he managed to be more colorful.

            “…As you can imagine, my Queen, having them at large in the forest was not ideal, but once they cornered themselves in the old castle, it was much easier to capture them.”

            “You have done excellent, as usual, my Kravitz,” the Raven Queen said evenly, reaching out a long talon-hand (you could never be quite sure if She was a bird or a woman. She was often both and neither all at once) and ran Her claw-fingers through his hair. “I think you should take the evening off and enjoy some time among the mortals.”

“If I may, my Queen, I would like to work on some cases I have yet to resolve,” Kravitz said, “Besides, I wouldn’t have anywhere to go if I went out.”

            “Three, two…”

            Just then, Kravitz’s Stone of Farspeech began to hum. He recognized it was Taako’s frequency instantly. Looking up, he saw Her grinning mischievously.

            “You know I hate it when you do that, my Queen,” Kravitz scowled as She quietly chuckled in Her ethereal, multi-toned way. He took the stone out of his pocket and answered, “Yes, love?”

            “Hey bone boy, it’s been a while?” Taako chirped on the other end, “How’ve ya been?”

            “Quite busy, as of late,” Kravitz answered honestly, before laughing dryly, “You could say work has been Hell lately, but I don’t think my Queen would appreciate that.”

            “That’s pretty funny, handsome, but yeah; super-don’t want to offend Her, I’m already in hot water with the whole death-count-over-one thing.”

            “As I’ve said, love, all of that’s been forgiven. But, how have you been yourself?”

            “Ex- _haust_ -ed, my dude. The Director’s been working us like crazy. Something about the next mission being real tough. It’s really killing my groove, but it pays well. She’s letting us have the weekend off, so I thought we could… go hang?”

            “Oh! Of course,” Kravitz smiled, even though he knew Taako couldn’t see. “I actually have some time off tonight, if you want. I know it’s short-notice, but-“

            “No, it’s perfect, homie!” Taako exclaimed, “The sooner the better! I found this really cool place in Neverwinter with Mags. It’s an inn, but they specialize in serving teas and coffees and stuff during the day. Maybe we could go there?”

            “That sounds lovely, dear. I can’t wait.”

            Taako gave him the directions, and they agreed to meet soon that evening. The Raven Queen smiled at her reaper as he said his good-byes and hung up., “I suppose you now have a reason to go out tonight?”

            “Yes, my Queen,” Kravitz rolled his eyes unable to hide the faint smile on his lips from his Goddess.

*

            It was unusual for Taako and Kravitz to go out planetside on their nights out. Kravitz still wasn’t used to being with mortals, and Taako didn’t like roaming far from his dorm. That wasn’t to say they never went out; they liked to sneak down to Refuge on occasion because Ren was an excellent bar maid and Paloma was an excellent baker.

            That was why Kravitz hadn’t questioned Taako’s choice of location. He figured Taako wanted a break from the moon base just as much as he himself sometimes wanted a break from necromantic cults. Besides, Taako had a knack for finding tiny, hole-in-the-wall shops and inns with great food, good service, and a fun atmosphere. That probably came from being a chef himself.

            The Star Gnome, as it was called, was no exception: a small, rustic inn situated between two newer buildings. You would almost miss it if you weren’t looking for it. The smell of fresh tea coming from inside was inviting. Kravitz was glad he opened his rift a good block down the road, just so he could enjoy walking inside. Besides, appearing in crowded places without warning tended to scare people.

            He saw Taako wave at him as he stepped in from a table in the back. This was also strange for the wizard; he liked being closer to the exit. Once Kravitz saw how full the sitting area was, however, he thought nothing of it.

“Hey hot stuff, glad you could make it,” Taako grinned as his date sat down.

            “Hello, love,” Kravitz smiled warmly. He then noticed the mug of hot chocolate (well, he assumed it was hot chocolate; as far as he could tell, it may have just been a mug full of cream) and said, “Oh, I see you ordered.”

            “Yeah, just waiting for it to cool. I would have ordered for you, but I didn’t know what you wanted.”

            “I think I’m going to have some tea tonight,” Kravitz said as he got up to get in line, “It will help warm me up.”

            Taako put his elbows on the table and cupped his cheeks in his hands, “I can dig that, homie.”

            Kravitz came back with his order after several moments, “This is nice, Taako, you picked another wonderful restaurant, as usual.”

            “Yeah, Maggie has a real eye for these kinda joints,” Taako shrugged, stirring the unholy amount of cream into his hot chocolate.

            “Has it cooled down enough yet, love?” Kravitz asked.

            “Oh, oh yeah! Guess I should-“ Taako took a napkin and spit out a piece of gum. “Oh, thank goodness, that was getting gross.”

            Well, that certainly wasn’t _Taako’s_ voice. It was…. Squeakier? Prepubescent?  Like a little boy had possessed the elf. Kravitz blinked, “Are you all right, love?”

            “Oh, right, time to drop the act,” Taako said sheepishly. Suddenly, he began to shrink. His features became rounder, his hair got darker, shorter, and curlier, and a pair of thick glasses appeared over a button nose. Soon, a dark, freckle-faced boy was looking up at him with a relieved look on his face, “Ta-da.”

            Kravitz sat and stared, frozen with shock.

            “Hello sir,” the little boy stuck out his hand, “My name is Angus McDonald. You probably know who I am, because I’m Taako’s magical apprentice. Also because, not to brag, but I _am_ the world’s greatest detective. I’ve been practicing  Disguise Self for a really long time now, but I think I’ve finally got it perfect, if your face is any indication, sir!”

            The reaper snapped out of his daze and gently shook the boy’s hand. “Yes, I have… heard… a bit about you. Is- is this a prank? Did Taako set you up to this?”

            “Oh, no sir, this is all me,” Angus beamed with pride, “I didn’t think you’d want to talk to me if I came as myself, so I pretended to be Taako. Please don’t tell him, though, I would like for this to just be between us.”

            “Well, you certainly studied for the part,” Kravitz chuckled nervously. He still hadn’t fully processed the fact he had been duped so easily by a child. Granted, based on how the real Taako talked, Angus was no _ordinary_ child. That didn’t make it any less embarrassing, “Er, may I ask why you would want to speak to me? Are you aware of who I am?”

            “Yes sir,” Angus said, “You’re Kravitz, emissary of the Raven Queen. Some people think you’re the Grim reaper, or Death itself, but you mostly deal with necromancers and liches; people who break the laws of death, like Mr. Lucas at Candlenights. You were the crystal golem in the lab, and you’re the reason Merle has a wooden arm now. But, you’re also Taako’s secret boyfriend.”

            “That’s… wow, that’s quite impressive, kid,” Kravitz smiled warmly, “I’m guessing Taako must talk quite a bit about me to you then?”

            Angus rolled his eyes, “No sir, Taako doesn’t tell me _anything._ I figured all this out on my own. World’s greatest detective, remember?”

            Kravitz took a measured sip of tea. All the bits and pieces he had gathered from Taako about the kid up to this point had been accurate: incredibly smart, perceptive, charming, but could be an insufferable know-it-all. If he wasn’t careful, that could get the boy in serious trouble one day.

            “So, anyway, now that we know we know each other,” Angus kicked his legs nervously under the table, since they didn’t reach the floor, “You probably wanna know what I wanna talk about. It’s about Taako, and-“

            “Now, hold on,” Kravitz put his hand up. When the boy looked up at him, he continued, “Before you say something you’re not supposed to know or talk about, are you sure this is something you should share? Or should this stay between Taako and I?”

            “Yes, I’m sure,” Angus nodded, “It’s not anything very secret or personal, and I’m sure Taako would tell you if he realized, but I don’t know- how much do you know about Magnus, sir?”

            Kravitz thought for a moment, “He’s a human fighter, he’s a Reclaimer like Taako, and he has a deceased wife, Julia. He also enjoys carving. Why?”

            “See, all of that is true,” Angus said nervously, “And I’m glad you know all of that, it means you’ve been listening to Taako, or have just seen the obvious. But… Taako and Magnus have history, sir.”

            “As co-workers? I would imagine so.”

            “Not just that,” Angus brought his drink closer, considered taking a sip, but shoved it back away, “Before they started adventuring, I think. That’s the confusing part, because I can’t find _any_ evidence of it. Taako was a travelling chef, and Magnus was in Raven’s Roost. There’s no way they met up and got close before they became mercs, even if _Sizzle it Up!_ had a show there. But anyway, they act like they’ve known each other all their lives. They get along so well, and they know so many little things about each other. I think…”

            Kravitz watched Angus’ face as he told him all of this, the way it scrunched up in confusion, and how he was still thinking about how he was wording what he said. Clearly, this had been weighing on the boy’s mind for some time.

            “…I think they love each other. Not just as friends, but I don’t think it’s romantically, either. Maybe at one point? I don’t know, sir. They just seem… connected.”

            “I think I understand,” Kravitz said slowly, “Like, they click really well? As if they were meant to be together in some way?”

            “I guess? It’s really hard to explain, sir. Have- have you noticed, too?”

            “I think, subconsciously, yes,” Kravitz agreed. “I noticed Taako talked a lot about Magnus. He talked about Merle as well, of course, and even some other Bureau members, but never as much. I guess I just assumed because Magnus was more outgoing and less… well, you know better than I do how Merle and the others are.”

            “You can say Merle’s prickly, sir, he’s quite aware of it,” Angus deadpanned. Turns out he had picked up more of Taako’s speech patterns than just the slang, “I think he’s like that on purpose, sometimes. But anyway, Magnus and Taako. They are a thing, and… well, I guess I don’t want you getting mislead… or hurt. Or you hurting Taako- I don’t… like people getting hurt. In general.”

            Kravitz noticed Angus swiftly wipe at one of his eyes with his sleeve. “You know something, Angus? I don’t like seeing people get hurt, either. It’s part of why the Raven Queen chose me to do her work.”

            “Really, sir?” Angus looked up, eyes shining, “That’s really cool!”

            “Some people find it morbid,” Kravitz admitted. It was a touchy subject for him, but the detective seemed like he wouldn’t make fun of him.

            “I think it’s fascinating,” Angus assured he, “There aren’t many books on the Raven Queen and what She stands for, much less how Her reapers are chosen. It’s something I’ve wanted to learn about since I figured out you were Mister Chug n’ Squeeze.”

            Kravitz nearly choked on his drink. “I beg your pardon?”

            “You were Taako’s mystery date at the pottery place. Carey and Killian told just about everyone they saw him with someone.”

            “So much for covert,” Kravitz muttered, wiping tea from his mouth, “Well, I could certainly tell you just about anything you want to know about my line of work. What are you interested in knowing?”

            As it turned out, Angus wanted to learn _everything_ about Kravitz’s job, from how his scythe worked to how he tracked necromancers. Kravitz tried to answer as best he could, but sometimes all he could say was, “I’m not sure, it just… works that way.”

            “So, you super _duper_ promise Mister Taako and Magnus and Merle aren’t going to get reaped?” Angus looked at the reaper incredulously.

            “Well, when they die, yes,” Kravitz confessed, “But I, or any other reaper, are not going to turn them in to my Queen. She has forgiven their debts. And we certainly won’t take them before their time.”

            “Good, good…” Angus nodded, “Because… I don’t want them to... leave yet. I know they didn’t mean to die so many times in Refuge, o-or before that. All the times they don’t remember. I… I really care about them, sir. Taako especially, since he’s my mentor. That’s why I wanted to talk with you, Mister Kravitz.”

“I can tell, Angus,” Kravitz smiled fondly. The kid was really starting to grow on him. “And, I appreciate your honesty. Was… was that all?”

            “Well, I did bring this,” Angus held up a neatly folded sheet of yellow paper, “-In case you didn’t believe me. You did end up understanding what I was talking about, though. But I still want you to have this, sir. Maybe it’ll help you fit in with them?”

            “Thank you, that’s very sweet of you,” Kravitz took the paper and put it in his breast pocket. He would have to read over it later. For now, though, it was late, and the boy looked ready to go get some sleep. “Are you okay getting home?”

            “Yeah, I’ll just,” a huge yawn interrupted Angus’ thought, “Excuse me. I’ll just call a cannon down, sir.”

            “No, I don’t think so,” Kravitz shook his head with a fond smile, “You know Taako would murder someone if you didn’t make it back safe. And, since I was the last one with you…”

            “Okay, sir, I understand,” Angus got up from his seat and took a sip of his hot chocolate, “Yuck, it’s cold.”

            Kravitz took the boy’s hand and lead him outside, “I’m sure Taako can make you some, and it’ll be better than any other hot cocoa in Faerun.”

            “Yeah,” Angus nodded in agreement, leaning against the reaper.


	2. The Beans are Examined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Kravitz knows about Magnus and Taako, how does he handle the news?

Angus had insisted on taking a cannon back to the moon base, which Kravitz understood. Appearing on the base with the Grim Reaper through a rip in spacetime would have caused concern. However, he had insisted on accompanying the kid back to his dorm, to make sure he arrived safely. He wasn’t worried about the safety of the cannon (Angus made it to Neverwinter in one piece, after all), but if something happened to the boy….

Which was how Kravitz found himself in his current predicament. Angus had fallen asleep halfway up, and was sprawled over his lap. This wasn’t a big issue by itself, but now they were approaching the (fake) moon and Kravitz had to think fast. Should he wake the detective up, or just let him sleep? Before he could weigh his options, the sphere floated through the moon’s entrance to the landing dock. He unbuckled both himself and Angus once they lurched to a stop, and put him on his hip. It was better to just let him sleep, then to wake him up.

A human man, who had been polishing one of the docked cannonballs, came over cheerfully. “Oh, hey Ango-“

When he saw Kravitz, however, he reached for a shortsword on his belt. “Hey, who the hell are you?”

“Uhhh,” Kravitz stared at the hand on the hilt of the man’s weapon, and had to school his face to remain neutral. Kravitz always found it comical when mortals threatened him with non-magical weapons; a sword, a spear, or arrow…whatever, would do minimal damage, at best. Regardless, avoiding a fight would be preferable. Kravitz did not want to cause a scene, especially with a kid in one arm, “I’m… an emissary for the Raven Queen?”

“There are no Queens in Faerun,” The man scowled, “Who are you, and what are you doing with Angus?”

“The Raven Queen is the goddess of death, and I am one of her bounty hunters,” Kravitz explained, before realizing, “Crap, that sounds like Angus is dead… Uh, I’m a friend of Taako’s?”

The man looked at him suspiciously, “Are you the dude Carey saw at the Chug n’ Squeeze?”

“Yes!” Kravitz replied, relieved. “We were discussing what happened in Refuge, since the whole town violated the balance of life and death… several- _many_ times over, as well as the boys themselves.”

“Oh, then you’re cool,” the man moved his hand from his belt and waved, “I’m Avi, I work the cannons for the Bee-oh-bee. Sorry for uh, threatenin’ ya there, buddy, we just don’t get many visitors.”

“Oh, that’s quite alright,” Kravitz smiled, “I completely understand, you have to do your job.”

“Yeah,” Avi laughed nervously, “Hey, wait a sec-?” _You’re_ who Angus was sneaking out to see?”

“I suppose so,” Kravitz chuckled, before propping the boy up further on his hip to keep him from slipping, “He’s a very insightful kid, but right now I think he needs a proper place to sleep.”

Avi looked at the sleeping boy and smiled, “Yeah, probably. You want me to show ya to his room? Or-“

“No, I think I’ll just go to the Reclaimer’s suite,” Kravitz smiled, “Thank you for the offer, though, and it was a pleasure meeting you, Avi.”

“Yeah, take care, dude,” Avi waved again, “And take care of that boy, he’s kinda the only one we got up here.”

“I’ll do my best,” Kravitz called softly as he walked towards the elevator. He used Angus’ bracer to open the door, and put his own hand on the boy’s back. If he was going to continue going out with Taako (and by extension, Magnus? He hadn’t quite sorted out his feelings on _that_ topic yet), he knew he would have to get used to the detective. He didn’t think this would be too much of an ask, however, because Angus was a smart, sweet, endearing kid. It was clear to see why Taako was so proud of him.

The elevator door opened with a soft ding, so Kravitz stepped out and knocked on the door to the Reclaimer’s dorm. A few moments later, Kravitz heard Taako mumble a curse in Elvish as he shuffled up to answer.

“Who the f- oh, hey bone-“ Taako’s face went from pissed, to happy, to worried in a matter of moments as he opened the door and saw Kravitz and Angus. “What… did something happen to Ango?”

“What?” Kravitz looked down at the kid, who was still fast asleep. Then, it dawned on him that for the second time that evening how he must look: the Grim Reaper carrying around a little boy. Not the most comforting picture, “Oh, um, no, he’s just asleep, I promise!”

“Okay, good,” Taako reached out to take the boy from Kravitz and put him on his own hip, “Had me scared there for a sec.”

“Yes, I… realize,” Kravitz laughed nervously, “Look, I know you probably-“

“Have a lot of questions? Want to know what the hell you were doing with Dango here? At this hour?” Taako cocked a brow, “Yeah, natch, but that’s for tomorrow. Tonight, we’re chilling, ‘kay?”

“I-I appreciate your offer, but I wouldn’t want to impose on your evening off,” Kravitz rubbed the back of his neck, “Assuming this is your night off. Is it your night off? That doesn’t really… I would probably get called in to work in the middle of the night…”

“Yeah, but is that any different from our usual date nights?” Taako asked, “It’s no biggie, I’ve just been doing Magnus’ nails. I’m sure he’d love to talk now that you aren’t trying to kill us. I could, uh, do yours too if you want? …your nails, I mean?”

Even though they hadn’t been going out for long, Kravitz knew it was unusual to Taako to be nervous around people. He smiled warmly, “That sounds wonderful, love. Erm, what about-?”

“The boychik’s staying with me, don’t even sweat it,” Taako waved his free hand dismissively and turned to go back to his room, “He can crash between Maggie and me, does it half the time anyway.”

“Oh, that’s… sweet,” Kravitz said. He knew Taako liked Angus more than he would ever say out loud; it was possible he loved him. However, Kravitz never even guessed at the full extent of that love until now. He watched the way Taako held the boy, safely and comfortably, Angus’ legs wrapped around his middle and his head on his shoulder. He saw Taako move a few stray curls behind the boy’s ear, out of his face. It was a tender moment, one Kravitz has glad he had the pleasure to witness.

“You coming, or are you just gonna watch all night?”  Taako asked coyly, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.

“Taako, my dear, I’m aghast,” Kravitz his hand over his mouth in mock offense as he followed after Taako, “There are little ears present!”

“Who, Mango?” Taako bumped opened the door to his bedroom with his free hip, “Because Ango’s out cold, homie, he won’t wake up unless we make him.”

# # #

He hated to admit it, because it felt like an invasion of privacy, but the folded piece of yellow paper from Angus had been rather helpful in getting better acquainted with both Magnus and Taako.

The page was a list, written in a code Kravitz embarrassingly couldn’t crack without the boy wonder’s help, of both Magnus’ and Taako’s … idiosyncrasies? Preferences?  Dislikes? A little bit of everything. Kravitz wasn’t sure how much time Angus had spent observing them to compile it, but now Kravitz was noticing their quirks as well.

 

_> Taako is ~~shorter~~ not as tall as other elves, and ~~softer~~ ~~chubbier~~ more heavyset. His ears are also long, even by elf standards, and rounded at the ends instead of pointy. No one has ever brought it up._

It was true, Taako looked like none of the other elves on the moon base, or in Faerun at large. He did, however, look closer to a particular village of sun elves that he had once visited in fulfilling his duties as Reaper. Maybe Taako was from this extinct village? It would explain why he didn’t talk much about his own family, and why he had moved around so much. Still, he certainly wasn’t a perfect match; none of those elves had had the blond hair Taako had. Just another thing to add to the mysterious aura that followed the wizard wherever he went.

           

_> Taako’s ears are extremely sensitive to physical stimuli. Touch at your own risk._

 Once, out of curiosity’s sake, Kravitz grasped one of Taako’s long, soft ears between his thumb and forefinger. He had never seen anyone jump away from something so suddenly or violently, especially considering Taako had dozed off.

“What the hell, my dude?!” Taako yelled, “I was _sleeping!!”_

“I’m sorry, love, it was just in my face,” Kravitz defended, impossibly flushed red with shame. (He had no physical heart to pump blood, so he should have been unable to blush, right?)

 “Well, next time, can you not?” Taako huffed, flopping down on the other end of the couch.

Magnus poked his head into the common room, “Oh, did you mess with his ears? Rookie mistake, man, but he’ll get over it.”

“I will _not,_ Maggie, shut up!” Taako pouted.

Taako was back in the reaper’s lap in five minutes.

_> Magnus likes to pull pranks, especially on those smaller than him (namely me). Be careful if he and Carey start giggling together: mischief is afoot._

Magnus ran up behind Kravitz and locked him in a crushing hug. “ _MAGNUS_!”

“Why do you insist on doing this every time I come over?” Kravitz choked. He didn’t think it was possible for anything or anyone to squeeze the life out of him, since he had been dead for longer than he could remember, but the fighter seemed determined to prove him wrong.

“I dunno, ‘cause it’s fun?” Magnus shrugged, setting the reaper down. “I used to do it to Jules to keep her on her toes, guess I just never stopped.”

“Do you do it to Taako as well?”

“Oh yeah- oh shhhh!” Magnus put a finger to his lips, then whispered loudly, “Here he comes!”

Sure enough, as the wizard rounded the corner carrying a plate, Magnus shouted at him. On impulse, Kravitz decided to join, “KRAVITZ!”

“ _Stooop_ ,” the elf whined after balancing the plate awkwardly in his hand to it wouldn’t fall, “I could have dropped my croissant, dick! Dicks! I thought you were on my side, Krav!”

“Oh, I am, love-“ Kravitz tried to explain before Magnus interrupted, “Nope, he’s on my team now! I stole you boyfriend!”

“Rude,” Taako playfully smacked his arm, “Guess neither of you will be getting any of _these_ bad boys.”

“Aw, come on Taaks, we were only playing around!” Magnus begged.

 

_> Magnus enjoys having his back scratched. Taako seems best at this, probably due to his long, manicured nails. It could also possibly because he seems to know which areas Magnus likes having scratched best._

On one of their nights-in (which involved watching Fantasy TV and eating popcorn on the couch), Kravitz watched the phenomena Angus had described. Taako, seemingly subconsciously, put a hand on Magnus’ back and started to gently scratch along his spine. Magnus, in turn, let out a slow, deep hum of approval and leaned against the elf. Soon, he had his head in the other’s lap, half asleep.

Kravitz found it quite endearing. He was even more touched when Taako started to rub his own shoulder blade. “That feels… nice.”

“You seemed stiff,” Taako shrugged, not turning his attention from the TV.

_> In contrast to Taako, Magnus does not seem to understand the concept of ‘personal space.’ Be prepared for regular bear hugs._

_> Though Taako may seem prickly and distance at first, the more comfortable he becomes around you, the more he is willing to give and receive physical contact._

Kravitz had certainly been in worse positions in his life.

Taako was curled up on his left side, head resting over the spot where his heart would have been. He complained briefly about how creepy, horrible, and morbid it was his boyfriend didn’t have one, but he seemed to adjust quickly.

(Yes, he used the word boyfriend and yes, if Kravitz had a heart, it would have skipped a beat.)

Magnus, on his right, was spooning him. There was no way to get around that fact. Magnus had an arm slung over his stomach and had pulled him to be flush against him. Kravitz first thought it was a hug, but if it was, it was the longest hug he’d ever been one-sidedly a part of.

It had been months (surely? Mortal time was difficult for him to understand, but it had been several moon cycles, he assumed) and Kravitz still hadn’t brought up the Magnus-boyfriend-whatever issue. It was honestly too messy to bring up on their usual date nights, or when they were just spending time together. And during quiet moments like this? He was too afraid of pushing Taako away. He also didn’t want to ruin the new friendship he had with Magnus.

However, Kravitz knew it had to be brought up eventually. Maybe… now? If it would change things between the three of them, it was better to know instead of waffling over the issue any longer. Before he could become any more attached.

“Taako, love? May we… talk?” Kravitz’s voice broke the stillness that had settled over the room. Taako blinked up at him sleepily.

“Sure, my dude, I’m not leaving anytime soon,” the elf mumbled, nuzzling into his shoulder.

“I can go, if you want me to,” Magnus offered, already pulling back the arm from around Kravitz.

“No, you should stay, this… also pertains to you,” Kravitz said. When he saw the shared look of concern from the other two, he clarified, “It’s not about your bounties, those have been forgiven.”

“Oh, good,” Magnus sighed, “This _wasn’t_ all a plan to get our souls. I was beginning to wonder.”

“No, it wasn’t… Taako? Do you and Magnus have…” Kravitz took a deep breath to steel his nerves, “My Queen, how do I even ask this? Do you have- history, I suppose is the word? That I should know about? I don’t usually tend to pry, but I figured, since we’re…. dat- in a relation- together, and you two seem so close…”

“Shit,” Taako muttered, “Well, I knew this was gonna come up eventually. Yeah, me and Mags are dating. Were dating? Are dating, def.”

“Wait what? We are?” Magnus asked, genuinely confused.

“Come on, nobody cuddles as much as we do unless they’re a _thing_ ,” Taako pointed out, “Or comforts each other after nightmares or makes breakfast in bed or like, _all_ the domestic shit we do. I thought you knew what was up and didn’t wanna like, call it anything, cause I mean, I get it-”

“No, I just- I’m not- I…” Magnus stumbled. He put his hands over his face and groaned, “I’m just a friendly guy, I guess! I’m not… I wasn’t trying to be your boyfriend. I’m not even… into you?”

“Woah what, you’re straight?” Taako asked, “Well, that changes everything!”

“No, I mean- I’m not…. I don’t have a preference? This is exactly what happened with Julia,” Magnus groaned.

“What do you mean, Magnus?” Kravitz asked calmly. “if you don’t mind me asking, and if you’re okay with sharing, of course.”

“After we got rid of Kalen,” Magnus said slowly, trying to calm down from the embarrassment, “Julia said something about how it was nice she got to fight with her boyfriend. I was very confused, because I didn’t know who she was talking about. She meant… me, obviously. Said I was doing all the boyfriend things except asking her out. I just went with it, because I thought she knew more about it than me…”

They were both quiet for a moment, before Taako said tentatively, “But I thought you loved her? Like, _really deeply_ loved her?”

“Oh, I did,” Magnus assured him, his eyes watering, “I _do._ Gods, I love her so much, it hurts sometimes. But, as dumb as this is gonna sound, the thought of dating her and marrying her never crossed my mind? And, don’t even get me started about having babies…”

Taako and Kravitz looked at each other. “I’m sensing a pattern,” Taako observed, “You ever thought about your sexuality, my dude?”

“Not really, never really cared,” Magnus shrugged, “Julia said something once about me being an ace, but I thought she meant I was a really good fighter or something. Didn’t figure that one out til… well, until I met you, Taako.”

“Do you feel like that describes you?” Kravitz wondered.

“I guess? If it helps you? It doesn’t really matter to me,” Magnus said, “So, did we… just break up?”

“Not unless you know something I don’t, homie,” Taako shrugged back, “I just thought we were clearing the air, to be honest. I’m glad we have it all out there now, feels… right.”

“Yeah,” Magnus nodded, “So, can we… keep being whatever we are? Because I kinda like it?”

“Me too, Maggie, but it really depends on bone boy here,” Taako lazily gestured to Kravitz, “He is for sure my bee-eff, ya’know?”

“Uh, um, I’m fine with… this,” Kravitz looked at both of them, “I was definitely fond of Taako before I got to know you, Magnus, but now I’ve also grown to care about you. Both of you, in fact.”

“Aw, that’s gay,” Taako cooed. “Romantically, at least.”

“Agreed,” Magnus grinned, “Sorry Krav, looks like you’re the gay one.”

“Darn, whatever will I tell my Queen?” Kravitz chuckled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi this chapter got so long that I split it into two parts. Expect chapter 3, the finale, super soon!


	3. The Beans Get Brewed into Something Amazing

            After the Day of Story and Song, after the cleanup and the rebuilding of the world, and after Magnus had built a home large enough for his big, weird family, Kravitz learned more about both of his partners on his own. He didn’t take notes like Angus did, but he cherished everything he saw. 

           

_~They both love Angus, and have become his new dads._

            Which, by extension, meant Kravitz himself was also the boy’s adoptive father? The concept made him feel a flood of emotions. Excitement, fear, dread. What if the boy didn’t like him? Or he wasn’t a good role model? Would Taako and Magnus want to end their relationship with him if the boy felt nervous around him? What if he was uncomfortable with Angus?

            Angus crawled into their bed a handful of times. He never wanted to talk about why, but it was pretty clear it was because of nightmares about the Hunger. They all had them: Taako was afraid of forgetting his family again. In Magnus’, Julia became encased in the black oil and fought him. Kravitz often woke up gasping for air and trying to cough the ooze out of his mouth. Nobody knew what Angus dreamed of, but just thinking about it made Kravitz’s chest ache in empathy.

            Usually, Angus crawled between Magnus and Taako. It made sense; Kravitz usually left in the middle of the night, and Magnus’ hugs could put anyone at ease. But sometimes, he would curl up next to Kravitz, saying that it was too hot to lay between the elf and the human.

            Kravitz enjoyed those nights.

           

_~Magnus can eat a surprising amount of food. He also has a sweet tooth. Living with the world’s most amazing chef did not help any of this._

            “Ugh,” Magnus moaned from his spot on the couch. It wasn’t the most articulate thought, but it got the point across.

            “If you want sympathy, big guy, you won’t find any here,” Taako said from behind his magazine as he and Kravitz sat on the loveseat, “Maybe this will teach you some godsdamn restraint.”

            “Love, he’s had over one hundred years to learn it,” Kravitz pointed out playfully, “Do you really think he’ll learn it now?”

            “Maybe he matured in the ten years he spent away from me,” Taako shrugged.

            “I’m right here,” Magnus whined weakly.

_~Magnus is terrified of spiders._

            Which both Taako and Kravitz found extremely endearing. Magnus, the protector, leader of the Raven’s Roost Rebellion, did not like arachnids. It was understandable, but also just a tiny bit humorous.

            “Well, I went to take a shower and say a… _menace_ in the tub so I’m not going back in there,” he told Taako plainly.

            “You want me to go kill the shithead, my dude?” Taako asked, not even batting an eye.

            “No, there’s other bathrooms I can use,” Magnus said, “I just wanted to warn you in case you… need to use it, for some reason.”

            “I’ll go kill it,” Taako put the pan of chicken in the oven and went upstairs. Kravitz watched him as he stepped into the bathroom, fired off three _Magic Missiles_ , and walked back out. “Done.”

            “Love, was that really necessary?” Kravitz asked, “You always complain about wasting spell slots, but you do stuff like that all the time.”

            “Please, Magic Missile is basically a fuckin’ cantrip,” Taako smirked, “Besides, now Mags can be positive it’s safe. Magnus, it’s okay! It’s dead!”

            “Thank you!” Magnus ran into the room, gave Taako a quick peck on the cheek, and flew into the bathroom.

 

_~When Taako cares about someone, he cares about them very deeply._

            “Are you sure this is fine, Taako?” Magnus asked as tried to fix his bowtie once again.

            “Yes, especially if you stopped fidgeting with this,” Taako assured him, readjusting the bowtie. “There, that’s my handsome boy.”

            “ _Taako,”_ Magnus blushed.

            “I’m not sorry, my dude, I’m just appreciating what I see,” Taako purred, “It’s not every day both of you look so nice.”

            “You look wonderful too, dove,” Kravitz smiled softly. Taako’s deep purple dress, with slits that showed off his thighs, was a perfect middle ground between the maroon of Kravitz’ tie and handkerchief, and the navy blue of Magnus’ dress shirt.

            “I just hope we don’t distract from Barold and Lup,” Taako chuckled, “I know I’m gonna have a hard time paying attention with you two beside me.”

            Magnus kissed the top of the elf’s head, causing his long ears to twitch and flush pink, “Just try not to cry, okay? Can’t have that beautiful makeup running.”

            “What kind of novice do you take me for,” Taako punched Magnus’ arm gently, “It’s enchanted not to smudge, dingus.”

            “Of course you would think of that,” Kravitz mused.

            “Anyway, we better go get our seats,” Taako deflected the compliment, but Kravitz did not miss the way his cheeks grew darker, “I don’t wanna miss them walking down the aisle.”

            “And I have to go do the music, but I’ll join you too as soon as I can,” Kravitz pecked both of their cheeks and strolled off to the piano. As he sat on the bench and cracked his knuckles, he thought about his own wedding day. Would they have a big ceremony like this? He couldn’t imagine Taako doing anything less, but Magnus was a quieter man. Maybe he would want a small ceremony with their close family?

            Perhaps the three of them would never be officially married like this. Kravitz would be fine with that, he realized, because so long as he had Taako and Magnus, he would be happy.


End file.
